ServicesVacant & Problem Houses
Selling a Vacant or Problem House in Fabens
An empty house drains money every month through taxes, insurance, utilities, yard work and the risk of a break-in. We purchase vacant houses and troubled rentals in their current condition, look into title and liens at the start, and leave the closing date up to you.
When selling as-is is the right call
Some houses turn into a problem slowly. A rental where the last tenant left damage and unpaid rent. A house that has been empty since a move, with the water shut off and the yard grown over. A property with a code violation notice, back taxes or a lien nobody has looked at in years. Fixing each issue before a traditional sale can take months and money you may not want to put in.
We make a cash offer on the house exactly as it stands today. Nothing to fix, no appraisal, no inspection and no financing contingency that can collapse a week before closing. The closing costs tied to selling are ours to carry, and nothing is deducted from your side for fees or commission. Both are $0.
Our care goes into the paperwork that decides whether a closing actually happens: matching the legal description to the deed, finding recorded liens early, and confirming payoff figures before a date is set. Those small checks keep a sale from stalling at the last step.
What our offer covers
- Purchase in current condition
- Broken windows, a dead evaporative cooler, missing fixtures, stained carpet from a tenant. We price the condition into the offer instead of asking you to fix it first.
- Title and lien review
- We look for recorded liens, unpaid property taxes, utility or municipal charges and old mortgages at the start. That way payoffs are lined up with the title company instead of surfacing on closing day.
- Occupancy questions handled plainly
- If a tenant is still living there or someone is staying without permission, tell us on the call. We explain how occupancy affects timing and the offer.
- Closing costs covered
- Every closing cost connected to the sale is paid by us. Your proceeds are not reduced by fees or a commission.
- A closing date you pick
- You choose the closing date, whether you need the sale finished quickly or need a few weeks to collect belongings and settle accounts.
- A referral if we are not the fit
- Sometimes our offer is not the answer for a particular property. In that case we still pass along the name of the best alternative contact for your situation, sale or no sale.
Signs a vacant or problem house is ready to sell
Bills for a house nobody uses
Property tax, insurance, minimum utility charges and yard work add up every month on a house that earns nothing.
Code enforcement letters
Notices about tall weeds, junk, debris or an unsecured structure tend to escalate to fines. Unpaid fines can become liens attached to the property.
Break-ins or squatters
Pry marks on a back door, a cut padlock, or signs someone has been sleeping inside. Each entry raises the risk of copper wiring and plumbing being stripped out.
A rental that loses money
Late rent, repeat repair calls, or a turnover that left holes in drywall and a broken water heater.
Damage that grows unseen
A slow drip under a sink or a gap in roof flashing can run for weeks with nobody there to notice. During a windy spring, one cracked window can fill a room with grit.
Insurance limits on vacancy
Many standard policies restrict coverage once a house has been unoccupied for a set period. Check yours, because a claim on an empty house may not be paid the way you expect.
What shapes your cash offer
There is no fee to you and no commission taken from the price. The offer itself depends on what the house needs and what must be cleared before title can transfer. We show you each item so the number makes sense.
Condition of major systems
A roof near the end of its life, a failed cooler or HVAC unit, cast iron drains or an outdated electrical panel all weigh more than cosmetic wear.
Liens and back taxes
Recorded liens and unpaid taxes are paid from the sale at closing, so they reduce what you take home but do not stop the sale.
Occupancy
A vacant house is simpler to transfer. A tenant or unauthorized occupant changes timing, and we account for that openly.
Title gaps
Missing heirs, an unrecorded deed or an old mortgage that was paid but never released take extra work to clear. If the owner has passed away, our Inherited & Probate Houses page explains that path.
From first call to closing day
- 1
Start with the basics
Give us the address, its condition, whether anyone is living there, and any liens or notices you are aware of. Rough answers are fine at this stage.
- 2
Free 5-minute walk-through
We look at the items that move the number: roof, foundation cracks, plumbing, the electrical panel, and evidence of water or pest damage. There is no inspection report for you to deal with.
- 3
Free, no-obligation cash offer
You receive a cash offer along with the reasoning behind each line of it. Take whatever time you need; we set no deadline and apply no pressure.
- 4
Title search and review
A title company searches the public record. We go over the results with you, including lien payoffs and any gaps in the chain of ownership.
- 5
Close on your date
You sign, the title company pays off any liens from the proceeds, and you receive the rest. No appraisal, inspection or financing contingency stands in the way.
Common questions on empty and troubled properties
Will you buy a house that still has a tenant in it?
Fill us in on the tenant and the lease when you call. Who lives there changes the timing and the way we set up the offer, and we lay out your choices in plain terms. If our offer is not a match, we can refer you to the best alternative contact.
There is a lien or a code violation on the house. Is a sale still possible?
It is. The title company normally pays liens out of the proceeds at closing. Any open code violation transfers with the house as-is, so there is nothing to correct beforehand.
Must I fix things or empty the house before selling?
You do not need to repair anything. Keep the items you want, and let us know at the walk-through what you plan to leave so the offer accounts for it.
The power and water are off. Does that matter?
Not at all. We can walk the house in daylight with no utilities on. Plenty of the empty houses we see have gone months without service.
How soon can the sale close?
The closing date is yours to set. Since there is no appraisal, inspection or financing contingency, timing mostly comes down to what the title search shows.
The house came to me by inheritance, but the deed is not in my name. Can I sell?
Usually, once the proper documents establish your right to sell. Our Inherited & Probate Houses page explains the usual steps, and we are glad to go over it with you by phone.
Stop paying for a house nobody lives in
Walk us through the property and the headaches it has caused. We start with a free 5-minute walk-through, then give you a free cash offer you can turn down.